The Circumcision Debate: Doctors Now Say The Practice Has Lasting Benefits

In the never ending debate about parenting, a new study’s key points should throw a few more logs onto the fire. According to an article in today’s USA Today, the American Academy of Pediatrics has released a statement claiming that the health benefits for circumcision on infant boys ultimately outweighs any negative effects the operation might have.

And in a country like the United States, where more and more parents are not circumcising their male babies, this is one study result that is bound to cause some discussion and debate.

So, who is right?

Or is there no right answer after all?

The newspaper quotes Dr. Douglas Diekema, a pediatrician and bioethicist at Seattle Children’s Hospital, who says that with circumcision,”There’s potential for significant medical benefits,” including a reduction in the risk of “urinary tract infections in babies and HIV infection in sexually active teens and men.”

Plus, it’s pointed out, doctors have been seeing less cases of penile cancer in circumcised males.

The debate over whether or not circumcision is a painful violation of an infant boy’s rights has been kicking around for some time now, with advocates from both sides often ranging far and wide from merely religious standpoints.

Some see the brief operation as ensuring a more sanitary future for males, while a host of others see the practice as something unnecessary and archaic.

The study makes it a point NOT to fully endorse having male babies circumcised, despite it’s recommendations. Rather, it states clearly that, “Parents ultimately should decide whether circumcision is in the best interests of their male child. They will need to weigh medical information in the context of their own religious, ethical, and cultural beliefs and practices. The medical benefits alone may not outweigh these other considerations for individual families.”

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